By Express News Service
NEW DELHI: The government is getting increasingly serious about the Omicron threat. On a day India reported its first two cases of the new Covid-19 variant, health minister Mansukh Mandaviya held a meeting with airport, port health officers and other authorities over screening and surveillance at the points of entry.
According to sources, the health ministry has advised the states and Union Territories to undertake surveillance of all international passengers coming to the country through various airports. Testing of samples of international travellers coming from At Risk countries on the first day and of specified category of passengers on the eighth day needs to be done, it had stressed.
The Centre also said scientific reasoning for booster vaccine doses is under examination but the priority is to ensure complete vaccination of the eligible population with both doses.
In a media briefing, Health Joint Secretary Lav Agarwal said, “The scientific reasoning for boosters at what timing for which vaccine all that is under examination. Our priority is to complete the task of administering both doses and this is the strategy which will give us the best dividend,” he said.
On the significance of vaccination in view of the new variant, NITI Aayog member (Health) Dr VK Paul said despite this new challenge, vaccination remains the most critical tool.
“We are fortunate that we have the tool (vaccination) in plenty and there is no doubt that coverage of vaccines has to increase. Look at the big picture, we must protect every eligible individual with this tool,” he said.
“We are benefited by two doses and people should get the second dose as soon as possible. The decision on duration between doses is based on scientific data and local data in a systematic manner, and there is no change in the present duration,” Paul said.
On the contact tracing approach in relation to individuals detected with Omicron in India, Dr Sujeet Kumar Singh, Director of National Centre for Disease Control, said the government is tracing primary, secondary and tertiary contacts. “Remote contacts are also being traced,” said Singh.
WHO on Omicron
Transmissionion
Early data suggest an increased growth rate, but not yet known if Omicron is more transmissible compared to other Variants of Concern, including Delta
Severity
Mild to severe.
Early to assess whether infection causes more or less severe disease compared other variants, including Delta.
Increasing rates of hospitalisation in South Africa, but this may reflect force of infection, rather than increased virulence.
TherapeuticsClinical management for patients with severe Covid-19 remains unchanged.
Vaccines
Impact on vaccines is not yet known. Evidence still evolving.
While we may see more mild breakthrough infections from Omicron, there may not be the same impact on severe disease, mediated by T-cells.
Situation in India
Total international flights landed: 37 flights from midnight of December 1 till 8 am on December 2.
No of passengers from At-Risk countries: 7,976. All administered RT-PCR tests.
Covid-19 positive: 10 passengers. Samples collected for genome surveillance.
Maharashtra revises guidelines for international & domestic arrivals
MUMBAI: After the Central government raised an objection, the Maharashtra government revised its Covid-19 guidelines for international and domestic passengers in the wake of the emergence of the Omicron variant.
According to the revised order, international passengers coming from South Africa, Bostwana and Zimbabwe to Maharashtra will have to undergo mandatory RT-PCR tests and seven days of institutional quarantine.
The second RT-PCR test will be carried out on the seventh day of quarantine. Those returning positive tests will be hospitalised.
If negative, these passengers will undergo seven days of home quarantine.
Domestic air passengers will either have to be fully vaccinated or produce negative reports of RT-PCR tests done 72 hours earlier.
If the person is coming to Maharashtra from other than high-risk countries, they will have to provide last 15 days of travel history.
The Union health ministry had sent a letter on December 1, urging the Maharashtra government to align with the orders given in the wake of the new variant.
India’s ‘At Risk’ list
European nations, South Africa, Brazil, Botswana, China, Mauritius, NZ, Zimbabwe, Singapore, Hong Kong and Israel.
